


We Sure Are In For A Show Tonight

by kalliblast



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-12-06 20:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18224969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalliblast/pseuds/kalliblast
Summary: Cursed Grimm fanfic about the reader wanting to do more than just sit around and watch hunters go by.





	1. Well Met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently became really obsessed with Grimm and decided to write a short story. Chapters will be set up like one shots that take place on the same time line, so there isn't really much of a flowing plot. Just a couple of smaller story ideas that have a theme. It's weird, I know, but I never wrote my own chapter story and I don't know how to make a good one. If this does well, I will post more chapters. The ones I have written right now are kind of a mess and I will need to change a lot before it gets published.

You’ve lived in Dirtmouth for quite a long time. You’ve seen strange things and even stranger people come and go, fairly quickly might I add. Everyone eventually decides to explore the underground of Hollownest, ditching the old town and spending all their time down there. Some of them you see very often and others you haven’t seen in years. That’s the way of the hunt, you guess.  


What was left of the small town was a few houses with a few residents and an elevator that you’ve only seen about 2 people use, they call themselves hunters. You forbade yourself from ever going near the thing, knowing what it leads to. You weren’t the hunter or the explorer, you liked sitting in your small house in the quiet town. You were friendly with everyone in the town. Making enemies was not on your bucket list, especially people like Sly who seem more capable than they first let on.  
Currently, you sat on a stool in the cute, little map shop owned by Iselda, a close friend of yours, and her husband. There wasn’t much to talk about, but you enjoyed each other's company. Now and again she’d talk about the adventures of her husband, which interested you to some degree. But then it was back to silence. Boring, sad silence… And then suddenly you heard three loud crashes.  


You jumped so high off the stool that you landed flat on your ass on the floor. Iselda was startled, too, albeit less than you. She ran around the counter to help you up and once you regained your balance you both walked outside to see what was happening. Everyone in the town was crowded around a large red circus tent. The front of the tent opened up like curtains, revealing a small group of bugs unfamiliar to anyone in Dirtmouth. They ignored they crowd and continued on with setting up their tent. The large of the three, a mantis like female, made her away into a smaller, off tent. The rest quickly looked outside and around the tent, making sure it was secure. Once they were done, the taller of the two turned to the crowd.  


“Greetings.” He gave a small bow when he spoke. “We are The Grimm Troupe, we hope we aren’t being too disruptive.” He seemed very.. Elegant. Tall and mysterious. It freaked you out, but also intrigued you. Nothing ever happened in this old town. It was odd and knew you should be fearful but… you wanted to learn more. Your thoughts got interrupted when he started to speak again. “Whoever summoned us can come meet me inside.” With that, he turned around and walked back into the tent. Most of the town walked away, back to doing the trivial tasks they give themselves. Iselda looked at you in the eyes, taking on a serious and stern mothering look.  


“I’ve seen that look, (Y/N). It’s the same look Corny gives when he discovers a new place. I won’t stop you from being curious, but just be careful.”  


“I’m… sure I’ll be alright. Thank you, Iselda. But if I’m not back out soon send Sly in for me.”  


Iselda gave you a quick nod, patted your shoulder, and then walked back to her shop. That left just you and the giant scary tent. You took a step forward to walk into the tent, hearing an almost haunting circus melody. Part of your brain was telling you to turn back, almost knowing that you would get hurt or something of the sort, but your curiosity took over. 6 years of completely nothing is awfully boring, and this was right here in Dirtmouth so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad?  


You slowly walked into the tent, being faced with a long dimly lit hallway. The music got louder as you made your way down the hall. Your attention was focused on anything else to distract yourself from the constant looping of the music. The inside of this place didn’t look like any normal circus tent, instead it took on an almost gothic look. The curtains were a dark red and the walls were lined with a design resembling the tall figure you saw minutes before. Many of the curtains were teared, which only added to the creepy atmosphere. You kept looking around you, not paying attention to what was in front of you. Eventually, you ran into something, or someone. The music suddenly stopped as you stumbled back and the bug looked at you. “You should speak to Master,” was all he said before continuing to play his melody. You gulped out of fear. Master? That sounded terrifying… Your brain had a decision to make. Turn back and go back to the quietness of Dirtmouth, or actually something interesting in your life. You wanted to be the one with the interesting adventure story but… what could be the consequences of that?  


You finally walked into the next room. It was large, but also poorly lit with red flames which gave you the impression that you weren’t seeing the full size of the room. You could make out some seats higher up on a ledge. Before you could take in more of the room, a metal door fell behind you with a very loud bang. You screamed and jumped, whipping your head around to see that you were very much locked inside. When you turned back around, the tall bug of mystery appeared, making you scream again. His eyes widened in surprise. You dropped to the ground, breathing heavily and holding your hand over your heart as if you were going to die. The bug came up to you and knelt down to be level with you.  


“Are you alright, Miss?” You still had to look up at him even though he knelt down. You were shaking with fear and didn’t answer because of it. He continued to speak, standing back up, “There’s no reason to be afraid. I’m assuming you weren’t the one who summoned us?” The side of you that wanted to be sassy was quieted by the idea of how many ways he could kill you. He stood up and held out his long arm. You hesitated, but he waited patiently. When you finally took his hand he helped you to stand. You regained your balance for the second time today and stood facing him, having to look up to a point that it hurt your neck.  


“I am Grimm,” he started after a long, almost awkward pause, “I’m the Master of this troupe. The ringleader, if you will.” As he spoke he let go of your hand and gave you a bow.  


“My name is (Y/N).” You eventually got out with no stuttering. “I just… live here.” He let out a small chuckle, probably just to be polite.  


“Well, (Y/N), what is it like living here?” You were taken aback by his genuine interest.  


It took you a second to come up with an answer that wasn’t really depressing. When you honestly thought about it, living in Dirtmouth was awful. But it was safe. “I guess Dirtmouth is… it’s… Safe. But it isn’t interesting. The most important landmark in our town is the witch who lives end. She gets more visitors than you’d think.” You were trying to keep calm with the slight humor. It helped a little, but his terrifying eyes and towering height kept you mostly quiet. Grimm was very interested though, almost ignoring the fact that you were still shaking.  


“Why don’t we get a little more comfortable…” Grimm snapped his fingers, suddenly making a small round table with two chairs appear. Kind of reminded you of a tea party, as silly as it sounded. In one swift motion, Grimm appeared behind you, took out your seat, and let you sit down before sitting himself down. His bright eyes stared at you expectantly. He seemed so intrigued, it was kind of endearing. “What do you want to know?” You played along, a little more interested in the conversation now that you’ve calmed down...  


“Why do you stay even though you hate it?”  


“Like I said, it’s safe. I have friends here that I like seeing. That’s about it, really. Why does this interest you so much?” You didn’t mean for that to sound at all rude and worried for a minute about how he would respond.  


“I’m never in one place for long. At first I had no interest in the outside world other than what happened in this tent. I developed an appreciation for the culture.” Then he paused for a second, “But no more about that, you’re my guest. What do you have to talk about?” He placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head into his hand, leaning in closer to listen to you speak. Your brain made the decision to trust him, for now. For what could have been hours you spoke to him about your trivial life in Dirtmouth, all the meaningless things you did to keep busy. Every now and then he’d answer some questions about his own life, though he kept the answers simple and short, preferring to talk about you since “you’re the guest, after all.” It was odd talking to someone other than Iselda, but you thought it was a nice change. Change was good for the most part, and now with Grimm around maybe simple, boring life in Dirtmouth would change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's that, first "chapter." Leave comments and critiques. I don't even know how many people would be into this I just got the urge to write something and Grimm was free real estate. Also!!! I don't know how to write for Grimm!! I tried really hard but !! I don't really have anything to go off of. So I'm sorry if this is something that seems "out of character" but most of this story will be personal interpretation.


	2. Delicate Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gift of a beautiful, white flower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of this chapter sets up stuff for later chapters that I want to do, but that is for a while from now. I'm happy people are enjoying this so far!

You started to go to the Troupe’s tent biweekly, making time to talk to Grimm but also do the tasks you normally do. You also started a small flower garden in front of your house. It was something to do in a time slot where you’d usually be doing nothing. It was refreshing, having something to do and look forward to. You’d still talk to Iselda now and then, telling her about Grimm and your other new-found hobbies. She was happy for you. She’d still tell you to be wary, and you understood why. This town hasn’t seen newcomers who’ve stayed for more than a day in a long time. But… Grimm didn’t seem like he was going to hurt anyone. Or at least he wasn’t going to hurt you, which was fine. You just liked having someone else to talk to.  


Today you made your way into the tent a little later than normal. You slept in by mistake and missed breakfast with Iselda, which already made you upset. You figured you’d still have some time to talk to Grimm, though, before he had to do anything relating to the Troupe.  


You entered the tent, waving to Brumm. He gave you a little nod of acknowledgment as he continued to play his accordion, which looked strangely like a dead bug. You didn’t really want to ask. Once you got into the main room, you saw Grimm sitting at the same little table and chair that you always meet at. Except this time, there was a little black vase in the center with a beautiful white flower sitting it in. Of all the flowers in your garden, you never saw one like that. Grimm was looking down at the table, a little lost in thought, when you walked over and sat down. He looked up at the movement and greeted you, and you gave him a smile.  


“What a pretty flower… where did you find it?” You carefully reached a finger to touch one of the petals, feeling how soft and delicate it was. Grimm watched your movements, looking a little worried.  


“Isn’t it stunning? There’s a beautiful garden in the depths of this place, though it’s riddled with infection… I found them growing near a grave. It’s very… delicate, I found out.” You listened while examining the flower, taking in its beauty. Nothing this beautiful has ever grown in Dirtmouth, not even in your own garden. You’ve never seen the rest of Hollownest, so you wouldn’t know what wonders lie beneath the surface. “I never would have thought that such beautiful things could exist in a place like Hollownest…. Why’d you go through the trouble?” At this, he smiled.  


“I wanted to give it to you, as a thank you for keeping me company.” You smiled too, appreciating the sentiment. “That’s really sweet… Thank you too, Grimm.” You decided not to say it out loud, due to how awkward it would have sounded, but Grimm has been a positive input into your life. He’s like the adventure that you didn’t think you needed, but were waiting for. After a moment of silence while you admired the flower, you decided to continue to conversation about the depths of Hollownest.  


“You explored the undergrounds?” You questioned, starting to get curious about what he saw. He nodded. “From what I encountered, it’s pretty dangerous. But it’s interesting. And there’s so many things like this,” he gestured to the flower, “that are like hidden treasures.” The way he talked about it made it sound so amazing, but you could never go down there! It’s a death trap! There are so many bugs who go, but never come back. What if that happened to you?  


“Do you want to see it?” There was something in his tone that made it sound like he was excited to show you.  


You laughed out loud. “Are you serious? I would never be able to survive down there!”  


“And you have every right to be worried about that, but of course I would be there to protect you.”  


You stuttered a bit, getting a little blush on your cheeks. You didn’t doubt that he could keep you safe, but wouldn’t that be a little awkward? Or difficult? You don’t have much experience with adventure, the farthest you’ve traveled was to the end of Dirtmouth when you wanted to meet all the residents. You don’t know if you’d be able to do it. You’d probably quit within the first few minutes. But you wanted to… you did really want to. You never had any story, or legacy. Would Iselda be angry?  


You felt like saying “thanks for the offer” and “no thank you” but… you didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do for yourself. You needed something like this, didn’t you? You were absolutely comfortable in your little home, yes, but ever since Grimm showed up you’ve started to crave adventure. It started with simply going into the tent, but that rush probably couldn’t compare to what you would feel actually exploring. You wanted to know why everyone ended up down there. Your expression was of confusion, and you seemed to be shaking from anxiety. Grimm leaned forward on the table.  


“You can think about it, (Y/N). You don’t have to answer now. But it would definitely be worthwhile.” He looked up at the door for a second. “The Knight approaches. I have business to attend to, but I’m not forcing you to leave.” Grimm stood up quickly, making his long cape sway behind him. He went to make his way towards the entrance, but you stopped him before he could get too far from the table.  


“Can I take the flower?” He chuckled, “Of course, (Y/N). It was picked for you, after all.” You smiled and gently picked up the vase, waving at him before leaving, making sure to say goodbye to Brumm, and even giving the Knight a short wave. You started to plan where in your garden you would dedicate to these beautiful, delicate flowers. You decided you’d give Grimm a few when they grew, since he seemed to adore them so much. 


	3. The Grimmchild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into the reader's life and what's going on while they aren't with Grimm. Also some insight on what's going on with The Knight and Grimm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a LOT longer but I'd say most of it is just filler and set up, sorry that's just how it ended up being. I normally don't write so much but I had a lot of ideas and I worked hard to write them out over the last few days. Some things might not flow perfectly since I was writing and then taking long breaks in between the next time I continued writing this chapter, I apologize for that. 
> 
> Notes about updates and stuff will be at the end! Happy reading!

You went a good while without visiting the Troupe tent, getting caught up in other activities. Grimm wasn’t around much anyhow, you assumed it had something to do with The Knight showing up more often. Grimm had business to take care of, and even though you didn’t quite understand it, you decided it was best to leave him alone to work.   
But that just left you on your own for a few days, trying to fill in the time where you would usually be at the tent. The difference between now and a few months ago, though, was that you actually had a small list of things you wanted to get done. That list started with taking care of your garden. Only after a few days, the white flowers started to grow, taking up the most of the space in the garden and trailing up the side of your house. It was beautiful, though it upset you a bit because you wanted to try to keep the flowers a secret. That was getting hard now that your home was covered in them. You whistled a little tune while you watered the plants.  
When that was finally finished, you made your way into Iselda and Cornifer’s shop, hoping to catch up with Iselda. You haven’t really been over there in a while due to actually having a schedule and things to do. You felt bad you left her out of that. She was probably really lonely since Cornifer rarely stops by, either.  
You walked into the shop and Iselda looked up, almost excited to actually have a customer. She was even more happy when she saw it was you, hoping you’d stay and be able to catch up.  


“Good morning, Iselda.” As you greeted her, you sat at the stool in front of her. She stood up straight, a big difference in her normal posture, and smiled. “Where have you been (Y/N)? It’s been a while since you’ve came in. I was starting to get worried… What kept you so busy?” She started asking questions as she made you a cup of tea, like usual. The look in her eye made you think she already knew the answer to that question, but her curiosity was still genuine.  


“I’ve.. made a friend.” Not a lie, you didn’t want to lie to her, but telling her the full truth might make her worry. She did tell you to be careful, and you did not listen. It’s not that you didn’t appreciate the fact that she cared, though.  


“Well at least one of us has something going on then, hm? Care to tell me about him?” You didn’t miss that she said “him” despite not knowing the gender of who you were talking about. Suddenly you felt a little uncomfortable.  


“Well.. You remember the tent? He like… runs the whole thing. I don’t fully understand it, but his name is Grimm. We talk… a lot.” Iselda smiled, leaning into the conversation.  


“Hmm… He must be pretty interesting if you’ve forgot to visit me.” Now that made you feel guilty.  


“I’m really sorry Iselda-” She waved you off with her hand, cutting off your inevitable string of apologies. “Don’t worry about it, (Y/N). I’m glad you’re having fun. And meeting new people. How’s your garden doing?” She changed the subject, but you had the feeling that she wasn’t done talking about it. She handed you your tea before you spoke, and you thanked her.  


“It’s doing well… Those white flowers are growing in quite nicely, they’re so pretty. They really give life to this old town.” Iselda nodded in agreement. The white flowers were a nice change, giving at least one spot of the town a sense of liveliness.  


It was silent for a moment while you drank your tea. Then, Iselda spoke up.  


“And what about Grimm? I’m assuming he’s nice since you’ve gone to see him a lot. But what is his deal?” The question sounded kind of rude, but you understood what Iselda meant and didn’t find it offensive. He was basically a stranger to everyone else, the only conversation he had with anyone else in the town was his small introduction a few weeks ago. Since then you think you’re the only outsider talking to him, besides the little Knight. They don't seem like a sparkling conversationalist, though.  


“I’m not… really sure. He’s very polite and poise… We’ve talked a lot about our own lives but I still feel like he’s being a little secretive. He runs the Troupe, I think you already knew that. He seems lonely, really. I don’t know how close he is with the other members. He also is sort of into adventure? At least that’s what he implied when he said he got the flower for-” You hadn’t realized you had went on a tangent until you noticed Iselda’s face. She had a very smug smirk. Now flustered, your face turned a bit red and you went quiet. Iselda chuckled at that.  


“It sounds like you really took a liking to him, hm?” You decided to ignore the comment, looking away from her eyes. Iselda only gave a knowing smile and let you have peace by dropping the subject.  


You both continued to talk for another couple of minutes as you finished your tea. You helped Iselda clean up and get ready to open the shop for the rest of the day. As you walked out, you waved goodbye.  


Next, you planned on visiting Sly, but when you arrived at his shop he was nowhere to be seen. A little hatch was open on the floor, and you contemplated going down it, but figured that if Sly was down there he probably wanted to be left alone. You left a little note on his counter saying hello and that you hope he was doing well.  


Now with the afternoon left to yourself, you decided to go talk to Grimm. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t excited to see him, hoping all day that you’d have some time left to check in even if for only a few minutes. It’s been a few days since you visited, and you kind of missed going.  


When you entered the tent and passed by Brumm, he abruptly shot his arm out to stop you from walking any further. He didn’t speak, putting a finger over his mouth and pointing to the entrance to the main part of the tent. That’s when you heard distant talking. You could tell it was Grimm, but you didn’t know who he was talking to. Process of elimination could tell you that it was the Knight, though.  


You took a seat next to Brumm on the floor and waited for Grimm to be done with his conversation. You didn’t want to eavesdrop, but you could hear some things he was saying in the silence of the tent. His voice sounded more raspy and angry while he spoke, like he was trying to sound more intimidating and sinister. It was a creepy change.  


“ . . . . . . Return to the stage and the performance will begin.” After that last line, you heard a loud noise, that sounded like when you first met Grimm and he appeared in front of you. Brumm began to play again. Only a couple seconds later, you heard footsteps and saw the Knight running out of the room, off to do whatever it is that the hunters do. They acknowledged you with a wave and you waved back as you walked the opposite direction.  


Grimm didn’t immediately appear when you entered the tent’s main section, leaving you to stand there awkwardly. You noticed a small curtain in the back of the tent was somewhat open, and you didn’t want to be too intrusive, but curiosity got the best of you.  


You walked to the back and peaked through the curtains, seeing a long hallway. It was dimmer than the other rooms, giving off a creepier vibe. You snuck between the curtains, somewhat closing them behind you as you made your way down the hall. You called Grimm’s name, but didn’t get a response. You started to worry a little, about your own safety and about Grimm’s, but mostly your own. You had a feeling you weren’t allowed to be there, what if he got angry? Everyone did say he seemed dangerous…  


You came to the end of the hallway, which was another curtain. You attempted to ‘knock’ on the curtain, kinda just pushing it in to get the attention of anyone inside. You heard a quiet gasp, which surprised you in return. Was something wrong?  


Suddenly, the curtain flung open, and Grimm stood in front of you- towering over you. It was intimidating, and you cowered down a little. How he was acting was a bit odd to you, like something was bothering him. When he looked down at you, and immediately his intimidating stance relaxed.  


“(Y/N)? Of course you’re always welcomed, but what brings you here today?” His voice wasn’t as raspy as it was earlier. You figured the question wasn’t supposed to be aggressive, but you still felt a bit panicked, as if he was hiding some burning rage for your sudden appearance. You wanted to ask him if something was wrong, but you never really pried into his life, what if he got angry?  


“Oh- I- I wanted to say hello, it’s been a while- I’m sorry if I’m intruding or anything, I saw the curtain and got too curious.” You fumbled on your words a bit, afraid that saying something wrong might upset him somehow.  


He hummed, “No need for apologies, would you like to sit?” He gestured inside the room behind him, which you just now caught sight of. It was quite big, with a red velvet couch. The only other piece of furniture was the familiar table and set of chairs, neatly set up off to the side. You nodded in response to his question, following him into the room. He pulled the chair out for you and you thanked him, taking a seat. Your thoughts went back to asking about his behavior, but before you could get a word out he started, “It's been a few days, hasn't it? How have you been?”  


“I’ve been doing well… How about you?” Grimm sighed, only saying one word in response, “Busy.”  


“I wouldn’t know what that’s like, is everything alright?”  


Grimm was all ready to drop the subject and try to continue talking about you. It’s what a good host does. He also he felt like he didn’t need to trouble you with his personal life. It would only be nonsense to you. And how would you take the full truth? You were pretty apprehensive when you first wandered in the tent, would you stop visiting if he told you?  


As you waited for Grimm to reply, you can tell he looked sort of distraught. It made you panic, in turn. He was usually so composed, you started to worry. After a minute, he finally responded.  


“It’s nothing you would want to hear, I’d only bore you.” That isn’t the answer you wanted.  


“Grimm I-” You didn’t think about what you were going to say, about to blurt out something awkward like “I really care,” but luckily your brain stopped your mouth from continuing. “I’ll listen. Is there anyway I can help?” You were trying to be supportive, even though you had no idea what he was talking about.  


His eyes seemed dim, as if they were glossed over and sad. “I’m afraid not, my friend. But it’s about the Knight and the Child…” He saw you were listening intently, probably still stuck on the idea you could help somehow.  


“Are you scared?” Your voice was soft.  


“Simply put, yes. It’s silly, isn’t it? I’ve done this thousands of times over, but it’s always difficult..” He still wasn’t being fully transparent, but you guessed you already crossed a line and you didn’t want to overstay your welcome by asking more questions. You decided to blurt out the first encouraging thing that came to your mind.  


“It’s not silly! You’re allowed to feel things, Grimm.” His eyes widened in the small shock from your positive outburst. You continued, calming down a little. “It’s okay to worry, or be scared. He is your own child, after all. And the Knight is basically a stranger to everyone…” You saw Grimm recoil a little, so you quickly added “-But they seem like a responsible hunter. I’m sure they have everything under control.”  


“I can only hope that you’re right, (Y/N).” After a slight paused, he quietly added, “Thank you.” You smiled. You felt like you actually got somewhere with him. He opened up a bit today, which was more than he had in the weeks that you've known him.  


You continued to chat about smaller details of the last week, telling him about the flowers and your visit to Iselda. It wasn't all to interesting, but he seemed to be enjoying your company, at least. Before you knew it, you started to get tired. You started to tell him that you were going to leave, but before you could get up, Grimm decided he had one more thing to ask of you.  


“Would you be interested in a picnic? There’s beautiful lakes underground, it would be quite the adventure.”  


You giggled, the sleep clouding your sense of right and wrong. “That sounds amazing, I'll meet you here first tomorrow.” Grimm looked relieved, let out a quiet sigh as he stood up and walked you out to the front of the tent. As you walked home, your thoughts were filled with the idea of a beautiful picnic with an amazing friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All feedback is appreciated!
> 
> Anyway, updates. I try to do 1 request per week, which means that chapters of this will be on and off, back and forth. I'm trying to have a set schedule but I'm really bad at that and when school starts to pick up with testing I will probably not be updating much.  
> Also my math teacher gave us a writing assignment, how awful. 
> 
> On an unrelated note, I tried to do the path of pain recently and I couldn't get past the first jump so I'm vv upset about that. Sorry I'm using this story as a place to rant.


	4. Blue Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimm mentioned a pretty lake, the perfect place for a picnic. But the underground is a scary place! Hopefully you both make it there safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy oh boy! I'm excited to get back into this. I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Extra Note: This chapter is going to be cut up into 2 parts because the first section became very long.

You woke up the next morning with a bit of a cloudy memory. You were just so tired last night. You remembered talking to Grimm, the little emotional moment you two had, and then getting too tired and leaving. You agreed to something… but what was it again?  


And then it hit you, like a hard slap to the face by your brain. You agreed to go underground! You agreed to go to some lake, in the middle of God knows where and- and…

You agreed to go on a date! 

Last night you just so out of it from lack of sleep and being so oblivious that you didn’t realize Grimm actually asked you on a date. Your mind at first was trying everything it could to convince itself that you were just misunderstanding the situation. Friends do stuff like that all the time, right? You go to Iselda’s house, talk and eat… There was nothing to get so worked up about! After a few minutes, you came up with an explanation that satisfies you. The nerves and butterflies you felt were just because it was an adventure. You’ve never been underground, it was normal to be nervous to try new things. You didn’t even dare try to think about it after that, not wanting to dwell on Grimm’s intentions too much. You’d end up contradicting your words and overthinking yourself into a hole. You felt like it was good to keep it vague. Whatever is going to happen will happen. Hopefully you don’t freak out too much.  


You got up and looked out your little window, deciding that it was late enough for you to go out and meet Grimm for the picnic without getting breakfast with Iselda. You’d have to explain to her later why you didn’t show up. As you got changed, you were already thinking of the many things that Iselda would say to you about it, but then as quick as those thoughts came, you stopped them. You once again had to remind yourself to keep things vague. No overthinking!  


As you walked down to the tent, you kept your mind blank and waved to Elderbug and the other residents who were usually out around this time (which weren’t many). You caught a glimpse of the Knight sitting on the bench in the center of town and gave them a wave, too. They seemed distracted by the map in their hands, one you could only assume they got from Cornifer. They did see you wave though, and gave you a wave back with the quill in hand, not looking up from the map. How cute!  


Quickly, you made your way to the tent, hearing the strange music you once thought as creepy. It’s funny how things can change. You must have been walking fast, or looking nervous, or something, because whatever it was made Brumm stop you as you walked down the long hallway.  


The music stopped and Brumm held out his arm, stopping you from walking. Seems to be a common theme with him, couldn’t he have just called your name? Does he even know your name?  


“You and Master seemed stressed. Is it worry?” Wait Grimm was… stressed? Was it because of what’s happening today? Or what you talked about with Grimm yesterday? You assumed that it was the latter, Brumm probably knew more about ritual than Grimm’s personal life. Quite frankly you didn’t know Brumm that well either, so you didn’t want to spill your nerves onto him. You tried to play it off as something else.  


“Well I’m assuming you know about the ritual and all?” Brumm was silent for a moment after that, only giving you a knowing nod. There seemed to be sadness in it, like it was too knowing. You decided that it wasn’t a topic for conversation or worry, there were a few more pressing matters about to go down. After another few seconds, Brumm began to play again, nodding to you to go to the main room to see Grimm. You turned on your heel and was quick to leave. 

Did Brumm know something you didn’t? 

Well that was a dumb question, of course he does! He’s known Grimm and has been apart of this Troupe years longer than you’ve known about it… Any thoughts on that topic after also got thrown into your ever growing pile of “things to worry about later.”  


You entered the main second and immediately recognized Grimm sitting at the table off to the side. There was a small woven basket on the table that you assumed had food in it. There was also a soft looking blanket folded neatly on top of the basket. It looked welcoming, comfortable. You got excited for the small adventure to come.  


As you came closer to the table, you could smell the different types of food from the in the basket. It smelled delicious! You wondered if it was Grimm who made the food, or if he has someone that does it for him. Either way, you knew it was going to taste good.  


He noticed you were walking in and acknowledged you with a normal greeting. “Ah, (Y/N). Are you ready to go?” You gave him a smile and nodded, actually really excited for this picnic. Before you left though, Grimm made you sit down. The basket and blanket was moved to the side for the time being.  


His demeanor changed, becoming more serious. The room seemed to darken.  


“You are aware of the dangers under there, aren’t you? Do you know how to defend yourself?”  


Such a question caught you a little off guard. Your excitement dwindled at the idea of getting hurt. You actually have had some training and practice, just in case something ever were to arise in which you would need to fight. You wouldn’t call yourself a warrior or anything, though. There was no telling what awful things could be down there, but you felt safe and versed enough that you could handle yourself if need be.  


“I’ve trained before, but I’m not too practiced. I don’t think you’ll need to worry about me too much.” You gave him a smile you hoped was reassuring. Grimm gave you a nod in response, “I’m sure we won’t run into too much trouble, anyway. Our little friend is trying to clear up that mess down there, you know?” You assumed by “little friend” he meant the Knight. You weren’t sure if the Knight really had “friends,” though. Nevertheless, this was new information to you.  


“I didn’t know that. Do you really think they'll succeed?” Grimm shrugged at first, but then thought on it for a second. “I’m sure they're the first one to try.” You agreed.  


Now assured, happy, and still excited, you and Grimm began your walk to the well on the other side of town. The Knight was gone now, but Elderbug still stood in the same place he always was. He seemed wary of Grimm, so you didn’t bother talking to him. Not like he was going to talk to you anyway, but Grimm never really left the tent, so Elderbug was probably just nervous.  


Whether or not Grimm was aware of this, you didn’t know, but he still gave Elderbug a polite wave. Elderbug seemed surprised by that, but he didn’t wave back. You planned on letting Grimm know that the residents of the town weren’t actively trying to be rude. Grimm didn’t seem too bothered by it, anyhow.  


Once you both finally reached the well, you got cold feet. You looked down into it, the only thing being the darkness staring back at you. You gulped. Would you have to jump? You always thought that there was some kind of staircase or ladder, but then again you’ve never even came this close to the well in the first place. You were about to voice your concerns to Grimm, when suddenly you felt yourself being swept up.  


You let out a surprised and confused yelp and shut your eyes tightly, reaching your arms out and trying to cling onto something as not to fall. It took you a second to realize that you were just holding a death grip on Grimm’s cloak. Your face grew warm.  


He was quick to lift you off the ground, supporting your weight with one arm under your knees and one under your back. He had put the basket of food with the blanket on his arm. Grimm noticed your reaction, and internally panicked.  


“Is this alright? I figured it would be easier for you to get down without injury…” Either he really didn’t see how awkward this was, or was just really good at pretending it wasn’t awkward. You believed that it was just because “it was easier,” though, mostly because your brain wouldn’t let you think it was anything else. You knew you’d definitely break something dropping down there, but he has more agility and gracefulness. You nodded your head, letting him know that you didn’t mind. You made sure to wrap your arms around his neck to keep yourself secure. You wouldn’t let him hear the end of it if he dropped you. Iselda wouldn’t, either.  


Grimm started to walk up to the open well, making you shut your eyes again. You were most definitely not going to open them either. Grimm was a bit hesitant to drop into the well, too.  


He decided it was “now or never” and just jumped, making sure to stay close to the wall of the well to cling too in case he needed something to slow himself down. You had buried your face into the fabric of his cloak to stifle a scream. You could feel the wind swishing your clothes around rapidly as you descended.  


And then it was over. As predicted, Grimm landed on the hard, rocky ground with such grace. No one got injured, no one fell. He gently set you down on your own feet, your eyes still closed, and you almost fell over. You were shaking so much from nerves and being basically airborne that you couldn’t stand up on your own. Grimm reached out and grabbed your wrist to help keep you steady.  


It took you a minute to collect yourself, but once you could stand still you finally opened your eyes. Unsurprisingly, the place was dark, damp, and overall depressing. You could hear eerie noises coming from all different directions, and even see enemies walking not too far from you both. What was the worst was the smell. This area alone reeked of something rotting and infected, you hated it. You tried not to breath it in too much.  


Grimm’s grip on your wrist loosened, but you felt a surge of panic and moved your hand to hold his. It made you feel a little safer somewhere where “safe” was a lost concept. He didn’t seem to mind it, either.  


It then hit you that you would have no idea where to go. You turned to Grimm to ask him if he knew where to go, but before you could ask he had a small map pulled out of his cloak. He set the basket down to grab the map, but you picked up quickly, worried that someone or something would try to take it.  


“The little Knight was kind enough to let me borrow a map they no longer needed.” He showed you the map, it was drawn in a lot of detail. You figured it was edited, there was no way Conifer could have ever drawn a map this detailed the first time he went somewhere. On the map was a long area circled in blue. So that must be your destination, it didn’t seem too far. Next to it in scratchy letters was the words “Blue Lake.” You did not know how Grimm found out about this place, it looked so far underground! You didn’t question it though, figuring it had something to do with the Knight. Usually, things did.  


All went quiet again as you made your way through the caverns of an area that the map called the “Forgotten Crossroads.” It was dark and sad- very little was left alive in this area. Maybe at some point there were flowers and people- life and stuff that could call this place home. Now all that was left was the empty shells of the dead, and the infected of the living. Could you really call them living, though?  


As you made your way deeper into the area, your grip on Grimm’s hand tightened. You were getting off-putting feelings about the area. Grimm had asked you multiple times if you wanted to stop to break or go back, but you had told him no. You wanted to see this “beautiful” lake he talked about. You wanted to have this picnic. 

You were going to have your adventure, god damn it! 

Though, it wasn’t much of an adventure. You always thought about what your first time being in these caverns would be like, you’d never thought you’d be down here with someone like Grimm, first off, but you also didn’t think you’d be so damn shaky. You felt like you were going to collapse from nervousness the entire time. Even though there weren’t many dangerous things in your way, you figured that the Knight had cleared out everything way before you two showed up. The quiet was both scary and reassuring. On one hand, you felt safer that there wasn’t anything trying to attack you upfront, but on the other hand you felt like that was a sign that the worst was just hiding.  


You both finally ended up in the very large room right before the lake, or at least that's what the map said. You could hear voices from the other side, but were not able to see anything that far from how dark it was. You only took one step in before tripping on the uneven ground, letting go of Grimm’s hand and dropping the food basket next to you.  


Your eyes were only closed for a split second as you fell, but when you opened them everything was _completely_ dark. You panicked, frantically looking around for Grimm. You couldn’t see him. You tried to scream, but you couldn’t even hear yourself do that. It was void.  


You looked around yourself. The area looked… different. A soft, yellow glow started to emerge in the distance, but you didn’t dare go near it. _Is this death?_ You tried speaking again, your mouth moving but no words coming out. You could only hear your own thoughts, and they were loud. _Where am I?_ Your head started hurting, a strong pain that felt like it was trying to rip through your skull.  


And then without warning, you collapsed. 

_Am I… sleeping?_  


_Light… Dark…_  


_I can’t… wake up…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting the next chapter [almost] immediately. I started to get inspiration and I really want to continue this. I'm not stopping until it's over! I have a lot of ideas for the future of this! I hope everyone is as excited as I am...
> 
> Feedback appreciated! Help me improve!


	5. Infected Crossroads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimm helps you escape the underground, unharmed. Physically. Anyway, what about that picnic? And how’s the garden?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters just keep getting longer. But what can I say? I love detail.
> 
> Well anyway, hope you like it!

Grimm held onto your motionless body in the dark once he found you. He could barely see anything three inches in front of him, but he could hear the noises of dangerous and angry creatures. Grimm wasn’t too worried about his own well being, but more so about yours. You had just fallen roughly onto the rocky ground, suddenly and unexplainably, probably leaving a few scratches or cuts.  


Grimm felt a piercing ache in his head, as if something was trying to rip his mind open. Though it hurt like absolute hell, Grimm had to ignore it. His priorities were set on getting you to safety. He’d worry about the rest when he knew you were okay, safe, at home.  


Slowly, his vision started to come back as the darkness cleared up, almost like fog. Grimm could finally see you, laying in his arms in a sleep-like state. If he was in this much pain, how did you feel right now?  


Grimm had only a little clue as to what could be going on, but theories would have to wait for later, too. He quickly picked you up and carried you in the same fashion he did when you were first coming down here. The picnic basket was left abandoned on the ground, probably to never be seen again. Grimm tried his best to remember where you came from, considering he couldn’t take out the map with you asleep in his arms. Thankfully, he was able to remember his way back pretty well. Which was good because one wrong turn could mean the end. Everything in the area seemed more aggressive, and there definitely was more of them after the blackout. An orange goop covered the Crossroads from the ceiling to the floor, in big clouds and long veins. It reminded Grimm of the red veins of the Nightmare Heart. But this wasn’t the doing of nightmares. If it was, he’d know about it. And it would be way less messy.  


This was what Hollownest called “The Infection.” It was explained to him only a few times with varying amounts of knowledge. You told him the small amount of information that you knew about the fate of Hollownest, but others were more enlightened on the subject. Grimm assumed that the spread of this infection is what caused the blackout. It was difficult for Grimm to think about the subject any deeper, what with the splitting headache and fatal circumstances.  


He had been running for so long, he forgot how many rooms he passed. Eventually, though, he could see the light seeping in through the well that would lead back to Dirtmouth. It shouldn’t be too hard to get up there, and it wouldn’t have been, if it wasn’t for the pesky creatures that now covered the caverns.  


For the most part, Grimm had been avoiding running into anything. He didn’t need conflict with you so close, and unconscious. If something happened you wouldn’t be able to run or get help. But where Grimm stood now, there was no avoiding it. He only knew one way to get to the well’s opening and currently it was being blocked by giant, winged creatures. If not for their size, Grimm would have called them flies. No, these creatures were large and fast, full of the orange infection.  


Grimm had to think fast. If he charged in, what could happen? Well, they’d attack you both, of course. He couldn’t flee, where would he go? Getting lost in these caverns didn’t sound like an ideal situation. The only other option he had was to fight. But first, he had to figure out somewhere to set you down.  


He was starting to lose his composure, to panic. The ache in his head only got worse from the stress that surfaced. In front of him was a small tunnel in the ground. Hopefully you'll be safe in there for a few minutes. If anything happened to you he’d completely lose it. And nothing in this goddamn world would want that to happen.  


Grimm gently set you down on the ground, making sure that you were out of sight of the creatures. If you woke up, he could only hope that you would realize the intensity of the situation and stay put.  


The second Grimm walked out of the little alcove, the fly-like creatures began to swarm him. He wanted to make this as quick as possible so he could get you out and make sure you weren’t injured. He’d also have some asking around to do about the events that conspired. 

You didn’t know where you are, you didn’t know what was happening. The last thing you remember was being in a pretty large tunneled room, and then passing out. Did you fall asleep? What happened? Currently, your head hurt like hell and the light made it worse, even though there wasn’t much. The smell was atrocious, even worse than when you first jumped down here. The ground was rocky and uncomfortable. All your senses were being attacked, but you couldn’t stand up or move anything, it hurts way too much.  


Suddenly, there were bright flashes of red light coming from somewhere above you. It made you flinch and shut your eyes, the sudden light making your head and eyes hurt more. That’s when you realized that Grimm wasn’t with you. Was he doing that? More importantly, was he the one attacking or being attacked? He didn’t abandon you, did he? You wished you could get a better view, but if felt like you had a huge rock placed on top of you. Heavy, stuck. It was causing wild discomfort, but you really didn’t know what you could do to stop it.  


The flashing continued for only a couple more minutes, and every time you had to shut your eyes and wait a few seconds to open them again. The room was also starting to get very hot, like you were all sweaty and uncomfortable. All you could do at this time was sit and wait, in hopes that if Grimm did leave you, he’d be back soon with help. Within a few moments, you heard a loud screech. It was rough, and scary. As if whatever made it was in terrible pain and trying to cause terrible pain. What followed quickly after was a bigger flash of red, it hurt your eyes even when you closed them. And it lasted longer than the others.  


Finally, silence. Besides the dripping of water, the screams and creepy noises stopped. Even the flashing had gone away. That’s when you heard footsteps. You got scared, quickly putting your arms up over your head without thinking about how much it would hurt. Your arms were burning from the pain, but that didn’t stop you from trying to “protect” yourself from an “attacker.”  


“(Y/N)? Are you hurt, did something happen?” You flinched back instinctively, but when you realized who the voice belonged to, you jumped up in joy. You actually got so happy that you flung yourself at Grimm and hugged him. He was surprised to say the least, hugging you back after a few moments to comfort you. It was nice at first, but then it started to get increasingly awkward. That didn’t matter much to you until every part of your body started to flair up in pain again. You let go of Grimm for only a second and ended up losing your balance and falling onto your butt.  


Grimm caught you and pulled you up to your feet once more, but the feeling of being yanked at made your arms hurt. You made a noise from the pain and Grimm stopped immediately, gently helping you sit back down onto the ground.  


“Where are you hurt?” He was trying to examine you, but he couldn’t see any physical cut or bruises. You shook your head. “Everywhere… Do you think I broke something?” Grimm leaned down to you and picked you up once again, not wanting to make you walk in the state you were in. “I wouldn’t know… I’ve had an unusual pain in my head, I’m sure it will pass…” Well, you both hoped it would. If it didn’t, you’d have something bigger on your hands than just fatigue and muscle pain.  


Grimm gently scaled the well to get back into Dirtmouth. You pointed him to your house and insisted you just needed to lay down and rest for a bit, even though you apparently were asleep for almost an hour in the underground. You actually ended up falling asleep in Grimm’s arms before he could even make it back to your house. He didn’t even have time to explain to you what happened.  


Grimm let himself in, laying you down on your bed and going to leave fairly quickly. He felt like he was invading by staying and didn’t want to disrupt you while you sleep. He has some research to do, anyway. _What can I found out about the infection?_

____

You woke up hours later, feeling a lot better. For one, you could finally move your arms and legs. You took that as an opportunity to stand up and stretch, feeling relief as all the built up pressure in your body was taken away. You really didn’t know what happened… What you did know is that you wanted to talk to Grimm about it. That weird… dream. You figured you could call it that. A dream. You guessed that was what caused you and Grimm the pain and you wanted to tell him about it. You also had a lot of questions about what was going on when you woke up. There were some missing pieces in your brain that you wanted to put together and understand. And maybe, just maybe Grimm knew more about the event than you. Before you could leave, though, you were starving. It was weird to you how hungry you were, but you figured it was from not having a picnic in the first place. That really sucked, you were looking forward to it!  


Oh well, more important things came up… Maybe you’ll get to make it up? Obviously not in anywhere in the underground. You had a way less need for adventure at the moment. A cute picnic in your garden would be more than enough, and with Grimm there you knew it would just be perfect. First, you’d eat something. Then, you’d go to the Troupe’s tent and talk to Grimm.  


After quickly eating something, you made your way to the Troupe tent. You took a second to admire your garden, too. It was coming along quite nicely! Other residents of Dirtmouth were leaving decorative rocks and things around it, making it more like a community garden. You were very proud of yourself.  


You passed Cornifer and Iselda’s shop on the way, deciding that you’d have to talk to Iselda about everything that happened eventually. She’ll probably freak out, so you wanted to put that off as much as possible. Besides, talking to Grimm about the ordeal was more important to you right now.  


Your nerves were shot and you were probably shaking as you made your way into the tent. The events that conspired really did some damage on your paranoia, every little sound making you jump and want to yell. You tried really hard to remain calm. The silence in the hall only amplified your nerves, though. Speaking of which… where was- 

“(Y/N).” 

You. Fucking. Screamed.  


Your entire body jumped and you spun around to face Brumm, who was holding his accordion, no distinguishable emotion of guilt or anything on his face. You, on the other hand, got pretty furious. You crossed your arms and glared at Brumm, much like a disappointed mother.  


“What the hell was-”  


“Master has been waiting for you.” He cut you off and as he begun to play his song.  


You let out a sigh and whispered to yourself, “Were you always this damn creepy…” You knew he heard you, but he ignored your comment. But it’s true! He seemed… weirder all of a sudden. You knew he was kind of here to serve Grimm, but you could do without the jump scares.  


You decided that further comments were unnecessary and you were just going to leave, the sounds of the accordion getting quieter as you walked further away. Again, you were still shaking, just a little more scared than you were before the interaction with Brumm. Was he okay? Probably not, but finding out would mean having to have a full conversation with him, which you didn’t see as something that would happen anytime soon.  


Grimm had actually been waiting for you, sitting at the familiar table. There was a teapot with two cups in front of him, the cup nearest him being almost empty. He seemed really on edge, you couldn’t tell if the tea was supposed to be helping with that or if it was making it worse.  


“Hey Grimm?” You spoke up to get his attention and the second he saw you he visibly relaxed. “Ah.. (Y/N). You’re okay… How are you feeling?” Grimm, of course, had to stand up and pull out your chair for you, to which you thanked him as you sat down. He took the other teacup and poured some tea into it, offering it to you. You gladly took a sip before answering him.  


“A lot better… I can actually move my arms now, see!” You felt the need to demonstrate this by shaking your arms to your side, making Grimm chuckle. You smiled. It felt nice knowing you could lift him up a little when he obviously was distressed about something.  


“Do you remember anything that happened down there?” It took you a second to answer that one, because you really didn’t. Anything before the black out felt like a dream that you knew happened, and everything you remembered from after it was all just pain. You did, however, remember the flashing mixed in with all the pain. You had to ask about that first.  


“I remember waking up and seeing a lot of bright flashes… It was red and like.. really warm, for some reason? Was that you?” Grimm simply nodded, “It doesn’t happen often, but I can really lose my temper, you know?” He brought his arm up and snapped, a spark of red lit up a small red flame in his palm. Your stared at the flame in awe, he never told you he could do that! 

But you couldn’t help but think, _‘what else was he hiding from you?’_

He put out the flame by closing his hand and then continued speaking, “I had to fight to protect you…” The words made your face heat up and you stuttered, trying to find a way to thank him. Grimm caught on to what you were trying to say, so he put his hand up before you could, “No need to thank me, though. My priority was your safety.” He put his arm back and gave you a mock bow, which made you laugh. You couldn’t see it, but he smiled.  


Then you remembered something else. That loud, ear piercing scream… Just thinking about it made your skin crawl.  


“What about that scream? Was that you, too?”  


“It was…” He trailed off, reaching to his cape and pushing a piece of the cloth to side, revealing a large scratch on his red shell. You gasped at the sight, worry quickly setting in. “Oh my gosh, Grimm are you okay? Why were you so worried about me when-” He already knew what you were going to say. Why was he so worried about you, when he was the only one putting his life in danger? Honestly, he barely knew himself.  


“I was trying to protect you, (Y/N). I’ll be alright but… I believe a blow from one of those things would have been lethal for you.”  


“I really appreciate it, Grimm. A lot. But you shouldn’t have to risk your life for me.”  


He shook his head, “My life doesn’t matter as much as yours.” He wanted the conversation to be done there and to change subjects, but of course it couldn’t be. He knew you’d ask more questions, which usually wouldn’t bother him so much, but right now he was very much on edge.  


“What do you mean? Of course your life matters!” You seemed to be getting angry that he really thought like that, but you just didn’t understand. And quite frankly he didn’t want to tell you about it. He wasn’t ready to tell you.  


“I’d rather not talk about it.” Snappy. That’s how you would describe it. He seemed to be angry at you, and you, not wanting to upset him further, just shut up. You couldn’t help but feel bad, even though technically you did nothing wrong.  


Once again, he was closing himself off. Not telling the full truth. It hurt you, but you didn’t vocalize this.  


“Do you have any other questions?” He asked you after a few minutes of silence. Yes. Hundreds of them. But he didn’t want to answer those, you knew he was talking about what went down in the Crossroads.  


“I do actually… Did you ever find out what caused it?”  


He seemed hesitant on telling you, but did nonetheless.  


“Well, in the time you were sleeping I met this strange girl. She was very helpful and filled in some gaps about the Infection.” Wait, time you were sleeping? How long were you actually out? How long was Grimm waiting for you? If he went out and talked to people while you were resting, you were starting to wonder if you “rest” lasted more than a few hours. You didn’t ask about that, though, deciding the information about the infection was a lot more important. You kept quiet to let Grimm continue.  


“She told me about an old ruler named The Radiance. And how she caused the infection in Hollownest… She herself did not know why or how, but this Radiance must be awakening, from how it’s taking over the Crossroads.” It was like a horror story. You never really new of an uninfected Hollownest, but the idea that it could get worse than it is scares you.  


“Can we do anything about it?” You seemed determined, and Grimm shot you down quickly.  


“We don’t have to do anything about it, Hollownest seems to already have a protector. Do you really want to get involved with that again?”  


He was right. You weren’t a fighter. You almost died back there! You couldn’t help but get the feeling that he didn’t believe in your abilities, but you knew he was trying to keep you safe. You silently agreed with him by just nodding your head. No one will ever see you back down there again.  


You wanted to go back and drink more of your tea, but it was cold now and you no longer had an interest in it. You just started at the basically full cup with a blank expression. Grimm noticed your change in mood and want to bring up something happier to cheer you up. He then remembered your garden. For the time you were resting, he made sure to take good care of it.  


“Is your garden doing well? I made sure to water it for you.”  


You looked up and gave Grimm a smile, changing your mood to the mention of your garden. “Is that why it looks so pretty? Thank you so much, Grimm.” He was pleased with himself.  


“It kept me busy while I waited… Do you know how long you were sleeping?”  


“No, I don’t. Time feels all weird now… Everything feels weird. Like… I feel better. Less pain and all. But I also don’t… I guess it’s like when you get sick and you think about the times when you’re not sick and you just want to go back to those times. Is that weird?”  


Grimm chuckled at your little rambling, “It’s not weird at all, though I don’t know if I can say I’ve ever been sick.” You fake gasped and put your hands over your mouth. “Lucky! 

The rest of the night went on in a similar fashion, just you two chatting. You liked the distraction from the awfulness, Grimm did too. It was good that it was over and you were able to just giggle with Grimm. You really loved just talking to him. There was no need for some fancy picnic or adventure. And quite frankly you felt like you were done with adventuring, at least for now.  


It was starting to get fairly late, as in almost the next morning. You didn’t feel tired throughout most of the night because of the long sleep you took, but tiredness was starting to catch up on you. You stretched and yawned, “I think I’m going to head back home… It’s actually really late.”  


Grimm agreed, but he had one more proposition for you. “(Y/N)? I was wondering if you’d like to make up that picnic, above ground, of course. I could prepare more food and-”  


You cut him off, your tired eyes lit up in excitement. “Yes! Please! Tomorrow afternoon, in my garden? Would that work?” Okay, maybe you lied before. You still really wanted to have a picnic with him. It would still be really nice, and cute, and fun. The fact that it could be like a date crossed your mind, but just as before you didn’t want to think about that.  


Grimm was happy that you were excited, ignoring the fact that you cut him off. He clapped his hands together excitedly, “Perfect! I’ll see you tomorrow then?”  


You yawned again and nodded, “Definitely. Good night, Grimm.” Although not visible, he smiled. “Good night, (Y/N).”  


Your excitement from a few nights ago returned as you thought about an amazing picnic you were about to have. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some say that picnic basket is still sitting there to this day...
> 
> Feedback appreciated! Have a good night!


End file.
